Egbert clyde gowdy



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT CLYDE GOW'DY, 0F CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE GOVERNMENT OFTHE UNITED STATES.

SMOKE-MAKING- GOMPOUND FOR SIGNAL-ROCKETS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

No Drawing. Original application flied Nbvember 25, 1918, Serial No.270,235. Divided and this application filed April 24, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT CLYDE Grower, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cincinnati, Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Smoke-Making Compound for Signal-Rockets, (Case B,) of which thefollowing is a specification and is a division of mcopending'application, Serial #270,235, led November 25, 1918.

This invention relates to pyrotechnic signals and more particularly asmoke making compound for signal rockets such as shown in my abovereferred to copen'ding application for conveying intelligence generallysuch, for instance, as the location of an enemy battery, call for abarrage, etc.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide an improvedsmoke making. compound which will be inexpensive to manufacture,reliable and eflicient in use and operation.

A further object is to provide a composition of the above generalcharacter, having a high degree of dispersion of coloring matter uponignition so that a cloud of the desired visibility is produced by asmall weight of coloring material.

A further object is to provide a compound in which the chemical reactionworks rapidly and uniformly so that the trail of smoke will be visiblefor the desired length of time. 7

A further object is to provide a compound of the above general characterwhich will be substantially insensible to shock, thus making it safe tohandle.

A further object is to provide a composition which will be stable andwill not deteriorate by lon standing.

Other objects will be in (part obvious and in part hereinafter pointeout.

While various colored compounds may be used, the following is set forthas' an; example in obtaining black smoke wherein I preferably employ amixture composed of anthraeene, magnesium powder, and a compound calledhexachlorethane, mlxed in the following proportions, by weight:

' Serial No. 292,853.

The principal action of this composition is between the magnesium andthe hexachlorethane, this reaction bein of itself very violent andproducing a w ite smoke. The anthracene slows down the reaction and atthe same time colors the smoke black. The speed of the reaction may becontrolled by varying theanthracene content, but decreasing theanthracene shortens the time of burning and tends to lighten the colorof the smoke, while increasing the proportion of anthracene increasesthe time of burning but does not make the smoke appreciably blacker.

The use of anthracene in this composition to blacken the smoke isparticularly advantageous for the reason that upon ignition of thecomposition, the anthracene, which upon carbonization imparts color tothe smoke, .seems to be volatilized, and not merely mechanicallydispersed. Since the anthracene probably becomes volatilized a highdegree of dispersion of. the coloring material is obtained, so that acloud of the desired visibility is produced by using a small amount ofcoloring material. The smoke composition does not deteriorate uponstanding, when contained in an air ti ht receptacle, and it iscomparatively insensi le to s ock ROBERT CLYDE GOWDY.

